Rail for vehicle-dashes



Y UNrrEn STATES ABIA Z. BODA, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

RAIL FOR VEHlCLE-DASHES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 226,025, dated March 30, 1880.

Application filed January 17, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ABIA Z. BODA, of Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rails for Vehicle-Dashes and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to an improvement in metal moldings or rails for vehicle dash-boards, which are employed to protect the edge and to improve the appearance of the dash.

Heretofore the principal form of rail used and the mode of securing it to the edge of the dash has consisted of a rail formed of a strip of sheet metal bent into nearly-tubular form, with its longitudinal edges left far enough apart to receive the edge of the dash or the projecting edge of the leather outside of the metallic dash-frame. The nearly-tubular rail, being flexible in cross-section, has its edges then compressed together, so as to gripe the edge of the dash inclosed between them. This means of securing the nearly-tubular rail is dependent on its flexibility, and is defective in several important respects: First, as it holds by the compression of its edges, any accidental knock on the rail may cause the edges to spread, and thereby to some extent to release their embrace of the leather; second, if the top edge only of the dash is provided with a nearly-tubular rail the latter is readily moved or rocked in a direction to or from the vehicleseat, to the extent pf the flexibility of the edge of the leather to which the tubular rail is attached.

Concerning the last mentioned defect, it may be added the leather, from constant bending, will break or crack below the rail, and the latter will then tend to hang over on the inward or outward side of the dash, in which position it is unsightly. Y

My invention has for its object to avoid the objections named by producing a rail of a certain form, and securing it to the edge of a dash by means that will not be dependent in any degree on the flexibility of the rail.

The invention will first be described, and then designated in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a dash-board embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a section, in perspective, of the parts. Fig. 3 illustrates the leather dash-covering, to which is sewed a leather strip for the attachment of the rail. Figs. 4 and 5 are cross-sections representing the rail as it may be formed by rolls. Figs. 6, 7, and 8 illustrate modifications of my improvement.

The letter A designates the leather-covered iron frame of the dash, above which the rail or molding B is secured. c designates the iron frame, and d the leather covering.

The covering (1 may bein one piece and folded over and down both sides of the iron frame 0,- or it may be cut in two pieces of equal size, which shall be placed with their edges together, and a strip, e, of leather or other suitable material laid over the two edges, and a row of stitching made through the strip and each edge of the covering, thus uniting the two pieces of covering and forming a sort of T-shaped tongue, as plainly seen in Fig. 2. But in whatever manner the two pieces of the covering may be united, it is essential that a sort of T-shaped tongue be formed above the iron frame-that is, on the upper edge of the dash. Several methods of forming this tongue are illustrated in Figs. 6, 7, and 8, which will be readily understood without special description.

Fig. 3 illustrates the covering din one piece, having the strip 6 secured thereto by a row of stitching down its center. When this covering is inposition on the iron frame of the dash the strip 6 must extend along and above the edge of the dash, and the unsecured edges of the strip, which is stitched only down the center, project and form the T-shaped tongue.

The rod B may be made of any metal, but I prefer steel; and the mode or process by which it may be formed is susceptible of considerable variation. I contemplate the employment of a series of rolls of suitable shape, so that a rod in a heated state may have the requisite form given it by being passed therethrough. Fig. tillustrates one form which the rod might assume, and Fig. 5 another. In the latter it remains only necessary to bend the edges inward so as to point toward each other.

The finished rail, as seen particularly in Fig. 2, is a solid rod, in distinction to one flexible in cross-section, having on one side a longitudinal groove enlarged Within, so as to form on each side thereof inwardly-projecting edges f, and exteriorly these edges bevel outward, as shown at g, which beveled part is adapted to fit on the sloping or somewhat rounded top edge of the leather-covered iron frame, as a saddle fits the back of a horse. Before attachment to the dash the rail should be plated with nickel or silver. The enlarged groove is adapted in size for the T-shaped tongue, on which the rail is slipped endwise, the unsecured edges of the tongue a resting on the inwardly-projecting edges fot the groove. By this means the b6"6l6(l edges of the rail are held securely down on the sloping top edge of the covered iron frame, and thus the rail has a firm seat, and is immovable when subjected to pressure from either side. After the rail is secured in position the end of the groove may be closed with solder.

Having described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States '1. A metal dash-rail having a longitudinal groove Whose edge on each side forms an inward projection, f, the lower part of which has an outward bevel, g, adapted to conform to the sloping edge of the dash-frame, as set forth.

2. A metal dash-rail having a longitudinal groove, on each side of which an edge, f, projects inwardly, forming an enlarged groove and leaving the metal of greater thickness in the upper part of the rail or above the groove than elsewhere, and each edge having an out ward bevel, g, on its exterior, as set forth, whereby the solidity of the upper part renders the edges unyielding when pressed to or from each other, and the edges are adapted to conform to the sloping edge of the dash-frame.

3. In a dash, the combination of a T-shaped tongue of suitable material secured to the dash-covering so as to extend along the edge of the dash, and with its edges unsecured, and an inflexible rail having a groove with inwardly-projecting edges f, adapted to slide endwise under the unsecured edges of the tongue, and with an exteriorly-beveled part, 9, adapted to fit on the somewhat rounded edge of the dash-frame, as set forth.

' ABIA Z. BODA. YVitnesses: L. J. LANDON, B. W. YONGE. 

